horrific

adjective

hor·​rif·​ic hȯ-ˈri-fik 

hä-

: having the power to horrify

a horrific account of the tragedy

horrifically

hȯ-ˈri-fi-k(ə-)lē 

hä-

adverb

Synonyms of horrific

• gruesome
• shocking
• horrible
• terrible
• nightmare
• horrifying
• frightening

Examples of horrific in a Sentence

horrific images of the devastation spurred many people to give generously

Recent Examples on the Web

And also, the way that the wish is impacting Bear is ultimately horrific. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 18 May 2026

But a new era of DEI was ushered in after the horrific murder of George Floyd. —Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026

One of Borquez's neighbors, Alisson Gomez, recalled the horrific scene to ABC 7. —Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026

Pittman described the horrific scene that led to him receiving the Medal of Honor after his platoon was ambushed. —Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 17 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & Latin; French horrifique, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin horrificus "inspiring awe or dread, frightening," from horrēre "to be stiffly erect, bristle, shudder, shiver" + -i- -i- + -ficus -fic — more at horror entry 1

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for horrific

• pacific
• prolific
• salvific
• specific
• terrific
• calorific
• conspecific
• hieroglyphic
• honorific
• nonspecific
• scientific
• soporific